This invention pertains to a spacer pipe for use between fixed components in a fluid handling system. More particularly, this invention pertains to a collapsible, removable spacer pipe for interconnecting fixed components within a fluid handling system.
Piping or pipe sections are typically used to interconnect equipment in fluid transport systems. For example, in a liquid food packaging system, a product tank may be used to store a liquid product that is routed through a plurality of valves through a filling nozzle and into a container such as a gable top carton. In order to dispense a precise amount of the liquid food into the package, the packaging system or packaging machine includes a plurality of valves and pumps for transporting the liquid food from the tank to the container.
In a typical system, the tanks and valves are fixedly mounted to a frame and are interconnected to one another by piping sections. Generally, the piping sections are clamped to the equipment items (and may also be clamped to other piping sections) in order to maintain a liquid tight, sterile fluid path environment.
For ease of maintenance, cleaning, inspection or repair, the piping sections are connected to one another and to the equipment items in a releasable manner. That is, the piping sections can be removed in order to obtain access to the interior surfaces of the piping sections and the equipment items. This is necessary to maintain the high standards and levels of maintenance and care necessary for proper operation of the equipment and processing of the food items.
It will be recognized that this type of arrangement, which requires high levels of cleanliness and care, can be employed in numerous industries other than the food packaging industry. For example, such standards and levels of care may be seen in industries related to microchip processing and manufacture and the like.
In a typical application for use between, for example, a product storage tank and a processing valve, the storage tank outlet nozzle and the pump inlet nozzle each include a flange circumferentially disposed about the end of the inlet or outlet nozzle. The valve is spaced from the tank, thus creating a gap or space between the equipment items. A spacer pipe is inserted between the pump and the tank. The spacer pipe generally also has flanges disposed at either end to mate with the flanges of the equipment items, and clamps are disposed around each of the sets of flanges to maintain a liquid tight fluid seal between the spacer pipe and each of the equipment items.
Often, gaskets or other seals are inserted at about the flange faces that abut one another to maintain this liquid tight seal. More often, in order to maintain a good liquid tight seal the spacing between the equipment items is such that either a force has to be applied to separate the equipment items or one of the equipment items must be moved in order to position the spacer pipe therebetween. As will be recognized, this can greatly increase the time and labor necessary for performing maintenance, cleaning or repair of the system.
According, there exists a need for a spacer pipe that facilitates maintaining the rigorous sanitary and cleanliness standards necessary for processing systems such as food packaging systems. Desirably, such a spacer pipe is collapsible and is inserted into or removed from between equipment items with minimal or no adjustment necessary to the spacing of the equipment items from one another. Most desirably, such a spacer pipe is readily installed and removed from the system to provide increased flexibility and to facilitate carrying out maintenance, cleaning or repair of the system.
A collapsible spacer pipe for use between associated equipment items establishes a liquid tight fluid path between the equipment items. The equipment items are in generally opposing facing relation to one another and are formed with flanges facing inwardly or facing one another.
The spacer pipe includes a flexible seal element or diaphragm having a main body and a pair of flange seals disposed at ends of the main body. The flange seals extend generally transverse to the main body and are configured to engage the inwardly facing flanges of the associated equipment items.
A pair of ferrules are configured such that each ferrule engages and cooperates with a respective one of the flange seals to compress the flange seals against the flanges of their respective associated equipment items. The ferrules each have a locking leg for abutting and engaging the flange seal and a wedge portion in opposing relation to the locking leg. The wedge portions of the ferrules are in generally facing relation to one another when the ferrules are in place on the seal element.
A tapered clamp is disposed between the ferrules and is configured to engage the ferrule wedge portions as it is tightened. The clamp includes a pair of blocking surfaces that engage and urge the ferrules outwardly to compress the flange seals against their respective equipment item flanges to effect a liquid tight seal between the spacer pipe and the associated adjacent equipment items.
Advantageously, a collapsible spacer pipe in accordance with the principles of the present invention reduces or eliminates the time necessary to remove and replace otherwise known spacer pipes by eliminating the leveraging or xe2x80x9cjacking-upxe2x80x9d of the associated equipment items. The spacer pipe of the present invention uses a flexible seal element that can be collapsed onto itself or compressed so that it can be readily inserted between and removed from the associated equipment items and/or piping sections.
In one embodiment, the ferrule wedge portions are formed as legs that extend generally transverse to the locking leg. Preferably, the locking legs have a groove formed therein and the flange seals include a circumferential projection such as a bead for engaging the groove.
The tapered clamp can include a pair of blocking surfaces for engaging the ferrule wedge portions. Preferably, the blocking surfaces are formed at an angle and the ferrule wedge portions are formed at an angle that is complementary to the blocking surface angles.
In an alternate embodiment, the ferrule locking leg and wedge portion are formed on opposing faces of the ferrule. A rigid element such as a sleeve can be disposed extending circumferentially about the seal element main body portion and the ferrules can be disposed over the rigid element when the ferrules are in engagement with the flange seals.
In yet another alternate embodiment, seals such as o-rings are positioned between the tapered clamp blocking surfaces and the wedge portions of the ferrules. Such an arrangement can be used in systems that are subjected to less than atmospheric pressure, e.g., vacuum systems.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.